Google’s modular Project Ara phone to arrive by January 2015

The last smartphone you ever buy may be snapped up this January. Google's modular Ara smartphone, which lets users slip upgrades in when they need them, should be hitting shelves in time for the January sales.

Ara is essentially an exoskeleton that allows users to modify what parts they want. That way someone that wants to spend the bulk of their budget on the camera, but doesn't need as much storage, can chose to upgrade that way. Perhaps one person will skip NFC in favour of faster 802.11ac Wi-Fi, for example.

There should also be third party components on offer that will allow for competitive pricing as well as new types of parts – like sensors. A person with diabetes may want a blood sugar sensor where another may not.

The recent Project Ara developer conference revealed that users will be able to order their Ara, with personalised configuration, from January 2015.

Users can also looks forward to different texture options that they can 3D print off at home themselves. The speed this phone can develop at, without costing us as much, is very exciting indeed.